Bell log: Adult Training Facility and Social Recreation

Working at Bell is more than a means to a paycheck. Our “work family” is caring and supportive, and dedicated to Empowering lives. Every. Day. no matter the type of work we do, especially during the current pandemic. Many of our individuals rely on social activities throughout the week to help them live more independently.

The Adult Training Facility is a day program for individuals that has a staff full of great people who develop specific goals for the individuals, with activities to learn how to become more independent at home. All of the individuals get along and they are definitely missing each other during this trying time.

The Social Recreation day program individuals are also missing their friends, as this is something they look forward to attending every day at Bell.

Bell’s outreach coordinator, Janel Fox, reached out to ATF/Soc Rec staff members to check up on everyone.

Janel’s report – April 13: The Adult Training Facility (ATF) in New Oxford is physically closed; the six staff who normally work their have been relocated to help out at the three residential homes in the Hanover/New Oxford area. According to Program Coordinator, Patty Reese, she and the day program staff conduct weekly check ins with the families of the individuals who are home bound, via phone calls, texts, and/or emails, in addition to ‘video chatting’ with those who have the capability. Patty reports that for the first week or so, one of the individuals got up and dressed and waited at the door to ‘go to work’ every day- for a ride that didn’t arrive! Hopefully, that ride to work will be picking him up soon!

IDD Senior Supervisor in the Social/Recreation program, Lisa Bortner, has been busy sewing handmade cloth masks for distribution to clients and service users in all programs at Bell – currently she has made 130 and continues to sew away…thanks for keeping us in stitches, Lisa!